Evening Star Newspaper, May 25, 1930, Page 5

LAFAYETTE PARK TREE IS ‘CHARMED Gnarled Chestnut, Resem- bling Witch, Draws Many Curious Tourists. BY GRETCHEN S. SMITH. ‘Worldly fame is soon forgotten! Per- hape less unn one out of every hun- dred, wh duly un the old horse Chestnut. In northwest corner of Lafayette Plrk knows that the tree is alleged to be endowed with strange and mystical powers, inherited from its ancester in Hyde Park, London. The fame of its powers has spread far beyond the Capital's boundaries, yet even the caretaker, who goes his rounds in the park, was unable to point out the gnarled chestnut to tourists who askéd for its identification. “Every Spring they come in dozens,” said. * ‘Where is the wishing tree?" is the query. No one ever showed me the tree, so I cannot answer the ques- But old-timers know the tree, and if it were necessary, many in_ the city could testify to its powers. Of course, there are as many who would denounce the old tree as a fraud, but there have always been those devoid of faith, and the chestnut will never help those who come beneath its boughs with in- eredulity in their hearts. ‘The tree was originally planted in 1856 at the time of the unveiling of the Jackson statue, some accounts say, while others insist, it was planted in the 40s at the time the park was laid out. Looks Like Witch. The tree stands in the far northwest corner of the park and is surrounded by other chennuts But there is no mistaking the wishing tree—its thick, mnrled trunk looks more like that of tree than a chestnut, and the hvu;fl ‘which twist and squirm toward rrmmu, reaemhle the arms of & witch, waving to passers-by to stop and make & mh 1t is said that the proper way to ask your heart’s desire is to stand under the tree clasp t.he lower h with hands, feet, and wish with f.he firm be- ne‘mt:fl‘ the :luhtwfll "ciome true. :‘:fl:l; i pe'nll le for the fulfillme: was voiced by an old bicycle. Shortl: le. home, she mcked up an -wrem.ly new bicycle lump which had been dropped on the s wi;\-xmed1 herd enough, Ah'd tten de bicycle.” %fi ‘most_famous story which credits the tree with supernatural powers is m ‘which concerns the dmlopment of American Beauty rose. George knmn the historian, had a very ef- ficient and progressive gardener, who one morning reported the finding of a nn and beautiful rose in the l-n- den. Some time after that, he left )Examcm" and went into busi- n-l for himself, specializing in the de- ent of roses. Bancroft was very o o e t him clippings new yres which had been discovered in his eswcu. As he hastened across Lafay- ette Park with 13 rose cllvplnnml: his e clippings to the young man, Ban- uofz nggced they were under the wish- he said, “I wish tree, so, smiling, some uny you may have a nne brick house.” Wish Fulfilled. treet. “Dere,” she exclaimed in t, “ef | gre: had i SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, Trovor veme o BYHWASHAGTON URGED BY SPEAKER 2.1 This famous old tree in Lafayette Park has attracted thousands because of its famed power to bring wishes true. —Star Staff Photo. the species. It yielded several bushels of nuts annually and in 1866, when the pmperty ‘was occupied by Judge Wlltet he sent some of the nuts to his l.lhbor Richard Plummer Jackson, lhnng at 3336 O street. Mrs. Jackson planted some of the nuts in the garden and the following Spri & small tree appeared. Ten years later there was| a large tree with spreading bnnchu whlch bore nine nuts. For 20 years yielded from two to three mmh of nuts every year until, in 1896, it was blown down in the great storm which deutruyefl xoooo trees in the District. But t! ft an off- spring before its dcl'.h !bur years be- fore the storm, Mrs. Jackson had plant- ed some of the nuts from the walnut tree in her 'n.rden to commemorate the marriage ‘of her daughter. This tree w and now flourishes in the yard of the old Jackson home, now the resi- dence of the Misses Wilson, daughters of the late J. Ormond Wilson, for many years superintendent of the public schools in Washi It would be difficult to find a soil more adaptable to the growth of alien trees than that of the District. Willows from St. Helena. . Very few know, not eyen the old- timers, that the graceful willows which droop above the Potomac along the xond bordering the river at the War College, have sprung from an once wept above the tomb of the great Napoleon at_St. Helm At the mne '!‘hewi.shwumm!ud. The young| Alfred M became famous and wealthy h the cultivation of American roses, and he not.only acquired but 13—the number of to him by the time the late King Edward V!I. while yet the Pfinee o( ‘Wales, vu- ited the United Sta he passed the wishing tree while wllkinx across the with Miss Harriet Lane, niece of ldent Buchanan. Miss Lane told the prince the lqend of the tree, whereupon, stopping be: neu.h its bongha. the ronl Visitor ex- some day he Inlfht be klnl of Enghn may have been that faith was lacking in the wish expressed by Archie Roosevelt, when as a little boy beneath the tree and said, “They say this is a chestnut tree; 1 wish it would some chestnuts once.” Many tes- to wishes which have come true, but no one has yet come forward who can claim that the tree has ever borne nuts. Hill to Genrrultewme . 1d tre wn, are old trees whose history is as fascinating as the lives of the men whose statues may be seen in the Hall of Fame. . And, as the who made American history came lands, so did many of the trees wl’illc now have taken root in American On the lawn, east of the west terrace ‘White House, is a stately o-.k Meny years turned Red. and the Czar was consid- ered ml;hty among the rulers of men, some acorns from an oak overshadowing the tomb o( ‘Washington, at Mount Vernon, were sent to his imperial Ruuun majesty by Charles Sumner, tor from Massachusetts. Yel!! later, while American Amhuudnr at the Court of St. Petersburg, Hitcheock visited a beautiful uuu o( the Czar on Czarina Island, near Peterhof, and there he found a beauti- ful oak '.ra: bearing a tablet with the mtm;v‘.’oxhu&mmcumm grew near pump su e post with drinking water, it was neces- sary to cut it down. But it was not removed until had been taken :lnd ph:ltfsd h‘t"on‘th:z: cll'ppln:l‘ that ver. the handsome trees have which now beautify the water War Coll=ge. i e Movie Actor Asks Divorce. LOS ANGELES, May 24 (). —James Kirkwood, veteran movie actor and di- rector, today filed suit for divorce against Lila Lee, his actress wife, charg- ing desertion. LOGAL GUARD UNIT STAGES EXHIBITION Battery B Gives Anti-Aircraft Demonstration on Monu- ment Grounds. Battery B of the 260th Coast Artillery, District National Guard, staged another anti-aircraft demonstration against air boombers yesterday evening on the Motument grounds in connection with the organization of the new machine gun battery. This unit has vacancies now for only 18 men. B will go to Fort Monroe ummer encampment on July Bat Xur lh 6. All Government employes receive attend The armory at Water and O mmvmummmkdflym evenm.{crthoudenfln(menlmln will be the only machine gun nrnnl.nfion in the District National . Walter W. Burns is eommnfl!r local - . B. , _John eavener, Wallace w-.rd Reimuth l.nfl.’chlrlu Harry it at the | taken care of the crew and the patient. Improve Your Home With Hechinger Co.’s New DOORS AND SASH Inclose Your Porch Now at These Low Prices! I "New Windows COMPLETE Glazed Sash First Quality | New Sash White Pine Complete Stock Pty GLAZED :4{- 2i x.... 85¢ Arthur J. Sundlun, Head of Chamber Group, Makes Radio Address. ‘Washingtonians who have been go- ing into other cities to make purchases of d luxuflu were ex- ted to make purchases in Washington in '.he future, to keep ‘Washington’s mmey in circulation in Washington, m loyment of Washington peov]e m gton's in- dustries and to stimulate the ‘rowth of the city and the prumrtmu pros- Flm.y of its residents, a radio talk ht over Station WMAL b; thur J. Sundlun, chairman of Washington Chamber of Commerce buy-in-Washington committee. “You owe it to your own success to support your home industries,” Sund- lun declared. “It is not hard to under- stand that the prosperity of the in- dividual depends to a great extent upon the prosperity of the community in ast n! the | st. 25, D.- O MAY whkhunmndemmnm t the growth of the commt ds upon the extent of the 1 support. We help ourselves when we help Washing- ton—we help employment here when we buy in Washington—we display marked civic self-consciousness when we sup- port the industries of Washington.” CITY NEWS IN BRIEF. ‘TODAY. Hike, Red Triangle Outing Club, Capitol Grounds, Botanic and Mall Gardens. Meet at Peace Monument, 7:30 am. or in lobby of Hotel Poto- mac, New Jersey avenue and C street Cl southeast, 8 a.m. FUTURE. Card party, Rector's Aid Chapter of Andrew's Episcopal Church, Roose- velt Hotel, Tuesday, 8 p.m. Meeting, executive board of the American Women's Legion, Willard Hotel, tomorrow, 11 a.m. Meeting, District Women’s Mission- | mi ary Society, Y. W. C. A, Seventeenth and K streets, Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. 1930—PART ONE. WILL OPEN GRYPTS 10 PUBLIC VIEW Washington Cathedral An- nounces Dedication and Spe- cial Service Thursday. The nave crypts of Washington Cathedral, notable for their architec- ture, are u be opened to pilgrims ursday service of dedi- -Crlhflm in Wi:léth al‘ht Rev. James E. Freeman, of en lndughe Wlihinmfl ‘Cathe- Chofr will partici] Constructed at a cost o( nelfly $400,- 000, the nave cf have added ap- pmxunltel{ 261 feet to the length of the crypt fabric of the cathedral struc- ture. Work was started in April, 1929, and the final touches are just being com- pleted. Like other portions of the edi- fice, the nave crypts are of solid masonry construction, with Indiana limestone predominating. They were designed by Frohman, Robb & Little W. & J. SLOANE TABLES Be they Tip Tops, We Still Marry Nested or End Tables, they always complete the ENEZUEI.A ' T0 PAY ITS FOREIGN DEBT = Legislative Body Takes Action on . Anniversary of Death of Simon Bolivar. In a special session of the Venezueian Congress yesterday it was unanimously voted that the .ovemment be author- ized immediately to pay the outstanding balance of the government's foreign debt, according to an official announce- ment given out at the Venezuelan lega- tion. is debt, on December 31, 1929, amounted to $4,681,906. The treasury was $22,740,180, The only et of = ment wil be the Sternat one of 30 “action was the l. ‘:'ll:. mmrlhg initiative d Gen. V. Gomes, former President of the re'mlhlle and present commander-in. f of the army, who made the tion to President J. B. Perez. e The coun! forelgn indebtedness comes on lheh,n'x'xl of the death of Simon Bolivar, Souti American liberator, it was explained. s, Cool Wires Best for Telephone. a conductor as a cold fin‘n:il g]u]: ',:n!wenhltm m;,"m are not rly troublesome tel circuit over short distances. oy At <y swsunuw 12th Street—near G. (Q;FTS that the bride carefully displayed at the reception but which rarely ever appeared again are today almost non-existent. Today’s bride is a practical person and her friends, knowing this, send ber useful Gifis to furnish her new home— Gifts which by their very nature remind ber of furnishing of the living room as resting places for ash trays, ciga- rette boxes, books, refreshment the good judgment used in their selection. — We Still Receive Gifts — But Today These Gifts are Practical MIRRORS Too many of these to suit today's bride? Impossible. If you know ofa particular place where a mirror will be needed, the proper one is here “The -corn planted here was taken from an oak which shades the tomb of the celebrated and never-to-be-for- !:"'“ ‘Washington—is presented to His perial Majesty, the Emperor of all the Russias, as a sign of the greatest By an American.” Mr. Hitchcock's visit was during the ’Il‘l “of 1898, and he found many acorns fallen upon the gmund Gather- m{h‘ handful, he brought them home n his return and one of | the oak saplings which grew from one | of the Russian acorns was planted on | at a price that will suit your fancy. $10% s $135% 8 i Muy .tll-r sizes priced equally low. All Sizes glasses or lamps. $15% £ $65% f———————————— e | it $3.55 French Doors New 15-Light Glazed 2 ft. 8 in. it DESKS There will be bills to pay, checks to be made out and letters to write and we can think of nothing that LAMPS Maybe you have heard the bride ‘express a wish for a Bridge Lamp, 8 Table Lamp or pethaps one that 2ft.6in. the White House grounds by President | Roosevelt in 1904. ‘Walnut Tree Is Ancient. !'ot lo traveled, but equally as ancient, ‘ of & walnut tree, which | now d flourishes m the yard of | lm Wilson, 3336 O lmet’ 18 the descendant of a tree plnnted !.n 11795 by Dr. James Blake, who came | wn from Charles County, | and built & home on the corner ' is now Thirty-first and N| ‘The tree, an English walnut, that the NNOUNCING the open! shoe repairing dep: the convenience of TheBroadway ValetShop 1410 New York Ave. N.W. Phone Nat'l 4091 SPECIAL (Monday Only) ind pus "81.00 Rubber Heels. . g 47Tk the beat whie oak leather \ Shoes rebullt o look like new. " Uider "the. Bong ilding. Bri “I..I‘l.l“" ng your shoes fo the Wallboard New — per 3 c square foot, Also insulating Sheet I I ] | ] ] ] 1 F | ] | | 1 1 1 1 1 x cox 6ft.Gin. : 1% in. $4.40 1$3.20 Other Sizes | Other Szes L Metal 1Ply — gsc IC::'M- Stack of | Shingles, Ete. Let us estimate and save you money on all your Building Needs 3 BRANCHES 3 Main Office - - Sixth and C Streets 8. W, Comp Meigs Fifth and Florids Ave. N.B. Brightwood 5921 Georgia Avenue N.W. will aid in dispatching these duties like one of these selected pieces. will light her dressing table. There’s < HOOKED RUGS If you know that both are fond of things early American, you'll strike arespondentnote with oneof these quaint bits of hand made artistry. $10% 2 $150% §79% » 132" 4 host of all these from $15% 2 $15000 » B o > 4 SMALL ORIENTALS Just suited to covering awkward spots of floor space often over- looked in the arrangement of things, these richly colorful gems from the Orient range from $200 s $40000 EASY CHAIRS One of these (and there is a re- markably large group to choose from) will warm the heart of the groom who counts on relaxation after the toils of a busy day. $3500 z $2500 PRINTS If you have racked your brain for original things—things you hope will not be duplicated — maybe these will solve your All are framed and marked from $15% 1 $25%